Palestinian prisoners boycott Israel courts

Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails announced an open-ended boycott of Israeli courts which specialise in administrative detention cases.

In a statement, the prisoners said the boycott is the “cornerstone of a confrontation against an oppressive policy”.

They added: “This step is an introduction to a general boycott of the Israeli occupation’s courts and the Israeli judiciary.”

According to the statement, the prisoners called for raising the issue of administrative detention in Israeli jails at the International Criminal Court.

Regarding the reason for the boycott, the prisoners said: “The Israeli judiciary has been seeking to beautify the face of the occupation, which adopts the arbitrary policy of administrative detention.”

“The Israeli occupation’s judges hold mock hearings related to administrative detention, including the High Court, and they at the end uphold the recommendations made by the Israeli [intelligence agency] Shabak.”

The statement, which was passed to the media by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Committee, called for the formation of legal, media and popular committees in support of the protest.

Official reports say that about 500 Palestinian prisoners are currently under administration detention in Israeli jails.